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Kerry: U.S., Afghanistan agree on security pact

The deal will allow U.S. troops to remain in the country after 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry takes off in a Blackhawk helicopter in Kabul, Afghanistan, after arriving on an unannounced visit to meet with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Oct. 11, 2013.(Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP)

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday that the U.S. and Afghan governments have agreed on terms for a security arrangement that could clear the way for a long-term U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

The agreement must be reviewed by a loya jirga, or tribal council, that Afghan President Hamid Karzai has convened this week in Kabul. The council could raise objections that might delay or even prevent a signing.

"We have agreed on the language that would be submitted to a loya jirga, but they have to pass it," Kerry said.

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The military coalition's mission will wind down at the end of 2014, when most U.S. forces are supposed to leave. The security agreement is designed to provide a legal framework for an American presence after that.

The United States has said a post-2014 mission would include advisers for Afghanistan's young military and a counterterrorism force that would be authorized to target al-Qaeda and its affiliates.

"There is no combat role for United States forces," Kerry said of a follow-on force.

The agreement does not specify the size of the force that would remain after 2014.

Commanders had initially recommended a follow-on force of about 13,600 U.S. troops, though the final number approved by the White House may be less than that. Allied nations will also contribute forces.

There are 60,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, down from a peak of about 100,000.

At the heart of the bilateral security agreement is a provision that gives the U.S. military legal jurisdiction over its forces, a key requirement for the United States.

Without such an agreement, U.S. troops could be arrested and tried in Afghan courts.

Terms of the agreement have been under negotiation for about a year.

Analysts say there is broad support in Afghanistan for a long-term U.S. troop commitment.

"The chances are excellent that an agreement will be reached," said Marc Chretien, a former political adviser to coalition forces in Afghanistan.

U.S. and Afghan relations have been strained, thanks largely to Karzai's often bombastic remarks, analysts say.

"The way this White House and the palace in Kabul interact there is no predicting" the outcome, said Michael O'Hanlon, an analyst at Brookings Institution.

The document will go before a council made up of about 3,000 delegates from around the country that represent Afghanistan's diverse ethnic groups and tribes.

Loya jirgas are national councils that grew from the ancient tradition of reaching consensus or mediating disputes through meetings of tribal leaders and elders. Loya jirgas have been used to choose kings, approve constitutions and settle other critical national issues.

Some of the discussion there will probably center on issues such as night raids and concerns over civilian casualties, which Karzai has frequently raised when talking about the U.S. military presence.

"It's very important for President Karzai to know that the issues that he's raised with us for many years have been properly addressed, and it's very important for us to know that issues we have raised with him for a number of years are properly addressed," Kerry said.

Kerry said an apology for U.S. actions was never considered as he and Karzai discussed the agreement.

"President Karzai didn't ask for an apology," Kerry said. "There was no discussion of an apology."